Hallelujah, A Hybrid Subaru Is On The Way

The only surprise, now that Subaru has introduced its first production hybrid model, is that it took so long.

The company last week showed off the Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. The 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid model will hit Subaru dealerships in the fourth quarter of the year, Subaru said, and when it does it will be “the most fuel-efficient and lowest-emissions AWD hybrid crossover in America.”

image via Subaru

Unless the car is a dog, it’s hard not to imagine this being a popular choice for the crunchy Subaru crowd. As Wiredpointed out, a hybrid Subaru seems tailor made for “urban hipsters and Portlanders.” We at EarthTechling, headquartered in Portland, wouldn’t disagree. According to our utterly unscientific study, the top two vehicle choices here are Subarus and Priuses, so you can only imagine how a sort-of merging of the two might fare.

image via Subaru

Subaru said the melding of the 13.4-hp electric motor and brake regeneration system into the XV Crostrek will give the vehicle fuel economy figures of around 28 mpg in the city and 34 on the highway. That’s compared to the 25/33 the EPA has the 2013 gas version of the car at.

image via Subaru

No word on what price you’ll pay for that chance to be just a little bit greener.

3 Comments

MarkF

ascpgh

A Subaru hybrid “finally”? The corporate approach had been one of reality and sanity with PVEV and zero landfill production but it appears the egocentric market demands halo vehicles and that is what hybrids are.

Save the planet? drive less. Ever had to resole your Birkenstocks? Didn’t think so. In an effort to reach more buyers Subaru has calculated that they are ill-informed, self-centered and incapable of appreciating stewardship above the small minded end-user operational savings. I loathe that Subaru capitulated is joining the ranks of car companies using more rare earth and heavy metals in vehicles much less likely to have the service life of their past cars. I’d rather have their diesel boxer engine option.

Small volume clean diesels are the answer, but the knee-jerk eco-identity market cannot grasp what Europe long has. VW Lupo 3L; 78 miles per gallon.